I had this problem (still do to a certain extent). Mine was due to anemia. I only became aware after going to my doc in desperation after my hair became unusually thin on the top with some short rough looking hair visible and I had to start doing comb-overs! It can be caused by several reasons- see below and most are internal. For all who are experincing this I would go to the doctor and have your bloods checked including ferritin levels because you can have a regular hb level but still be anemic because your body is taking hb from non essential areas like you scalp and trnasferring them to your blood so your levels may be normal but you could still be anemic- so ferritin level is a more accurate indicator of what is going on if you suspect anemia. My hair improved when I started taking prescribed iron but I am still anemic and I check my levels regularly and the last hb was low so I have to increase my iron now and I can tell by how my crown feel that it is affecting it again
but I will cut it in the bud before it gets any worse:gunner7:
http://www.hair-styles-secrets-revealed.com/thinning-hair-information.html
Hair thinning is also called androgenetic alopecia.
A lot of people do not distinguish the expressions fine hair, thin hair and thinning hair. However, these conditions are completely different. Fine hair is about the size of the individual hair strand. It has very small diameter.
Thin hair refers to the number of hairs on your head. If you have small number of hairs (less than 90,000) you have thin hair. Thinning hair means that your hair is becoming sparser. Or in other words, your head is losing hair.
Causes of Thinning Hair
First of all, there is no single cause of thinning hair. Because of this fact, there are many treatments available. However, like in many health related cases, prevention should be your first option. For example, you can prevent hair thinning if you reduce stress in your life.
Nevertheless, all causes have one thing in common – effects created by this hair problem can be very serious for both men and women. When thinning hair takes place to women it destroys their femininity.
But, before you begin searching for good treatments or thinking about prevention methods (such as reducing stress), you must learn about causes of thinning hair.Only then you will be able to eliminate the effects of hair thinning.
As stated before, there is no one cause of thinning hair. Any number of causes or combination of causes can be responsible for hair thinning. The best way to find out why your hair is thinning is by a thorough medical examination by a doctor.
Thinning hair causes are numerous including genetics, diseases, poor nutrition, stress and medications. However, the most usual cause of thinning hair in men and women is hereditary male and female pattern baldness, also called androgenic alopecia. It is responsible for 99 percent of all thinning hair. We will cover these causes in more detail.
However, you should know what does not cause this hair problem. Scientists have found out that androgenic alopecia is not caused by the following reasons:
- poor scalp circulation
- 'clogged' hair follicles
- tiny scalp mites
- wrong shampoo
- wearing hats or helmets.
Also, various hair care products cannot have effect on the hair thinning process.
What Causes Thinning Hair in Women?
In general, women’s hair thin out over the area between the bangs and the crown of the head. Thinning hair in women can be caused by many reasons - ranging from temporary conditions to medical disorders.
However, psychological effects of hair loss are more severe in women than in men. There is one thing that all women should keep in mind - thinning hair is a natural part of aging. Even the healthiest women suffer from this condition.
Causes of hair thinning in women:
1. Hypothyroidism - a condition in which the thyroid gland fails to produce enough thyroid hormone;
2. Anemia - it happens when the number of healthy red blood cells decreases;
3. Poor diet – Lack of vitamins and minerals (for instance, iron deficiency);
4. Side effects of medicines;
5. Stress;
6. Pregnancy – hormonal changes;
7. Perimenopause - hormonal shifts; levels of estrogen and progesterone are changed.
Thinning hair caused by the above factors is typically reversible, once the cause is discovered and treated.The biggest cause of thinning hair in women is androgenetic alopecia, also called hereditary hair thinning. Other causes include alopecia areata, telogen effluvium and traumatic alopecia.
Other causes:
- Androgenetic Alopecia is particularly common disorder - in excess of 30 million American women suffer from it. About 13 percent of premenopausal women have it; however, androgenetic alopecia may affect 75 percent of women older than 65 years. The hair becomes thinner all over the scalp, and the hairline does not recede. Androgenetic alopecia in women hardly ever leads to total baldness. This is genetically determined disorder; because of this fact, there is no prevention. Effects are mostly psychological. Treatments include minoxidil, which is found in Women’s Rogaine.
- Alopecia areata often happens suddenly and tends to be patchy. In most cases, it is not a hereditary disorder. The main cause is an immune system disorder. It affects approximately 2 percent of American population. Alopecia can cause psychological stress. Because significant appearance changes take place, effects of the disorder include social phobia, anxiety, and depression. When it comes to treatments, doctors can try a few methods, such as minoxidil.
- Telogen Effluvium is a temporary condition and occurs suddenly; the main cause is an interruption in the normal hair growth cycle. It is often the result of trauma, such as chemotherapy, childbirth, major surgery, severe stress, and severe chronic illness. The hair thinning takes place throughout the scalp. This condition is quite common. A large number of people have experienced an episode of telogen effluvium at some point in their lives. Generally, there is no need for treatments, recovery is spontaneous and happens within six months.
- Traumatic alopecia is caused by an injury or trauma to the scalp. It is an especially common form of hair loss in African-American women, due to the techniques used in some hairstyles, such as braids. Causes of traumatic alopecia include: the persistent pulling of the hair (tight rollers), commercial relaxer products, and excessive use of pomades with a hot comb or iron. Prevention and treatments are the same - stop the styling practices immediately and see a doctor.
Medical Causes of Thinning Hair
Thinning hair causes can be simple and complex. A simple health cause can include recovery from a major surgery. Such medical treatment can cause trauma to the hair follicles.Your doctor will tell you that this is normal and your hair growth will return to normal, but it could take three or four months.
Other medical causes include the side effects of some antibiotics and the effects of chemotherapy.
Your physician will tell you that these drugs can cause hair thinning and once you are done with antibiotics treatment, and your health is improved, your hair will begin to grow back. A big medical cause is an underactive or overactive thyroid gland. In case of bad health, hormones can become unbalanced and this can also lead to thinning hair.
You should contact your doctor to find out the reason for your condition. Your physician will advise you to start a regular hormone treatment. Other medical causes of thinning hair:
- Having a baby;
- Infections;
- Diabetes;
- Lupus.
You should keep in mind that because thinning hair is often a warning sign of a bad health, it is crucial to consult your doctor to find out the reason. Here are certain medicines that have been identified as thinning hair causes:
- Blood thinners for heart disease;
- Medication for gout;
- Too much Vitamin A;
- Anti-depressants;
- Birth control pills.
Medical Reasons for Hair Thinning in Women
- thyroid disease
- substantial weight loss or gain
- stress
- anemia
- dietary imbalance or nutritional deficiency
- infection of the scalp
- hormonal changes during pregnancy and menopause
- major surgery
- chronic illness
- medications, such as chemotherapy drugs
- blood pressure medications
- birth control pills
- childbirth
Your physician should tell you if any of these medical conditions is reason for hair thinning.
Thinning Hair and Menopause
Almost half of all women experience noticeable hair thinning during their menopausal years. Two-thirds of post-menopausal women suffer from thinning hair. Thinning of hair occurs all over the head without a receding front hairline.
During the menopause, changes in woman’s estrogen levels are taking place, which is possible cause of thinning hair. To be more precise, after menopause, there is a dramatic drop of the female hormone estrogen in comparison to testosterone.
As a result, the excess of testosterone contributes to thinning of your hair. Some women try to solve the problem with hormone replacement therapy. However, recent studies show that this type of treatment has bad side effects.
Your best option for fighting thinning hair during menopause is using Rogaine (Minoxidil). It produces improvement in about 50 percent of women with thinning hair. Keep in mind that only the 2 percent strength is suitable for women.
Or you can try nutritional approach to encourage hair re-growth. Make sure you are taking enough omega-3 fatty acids by eating salmon, sardines, herring or mackerel 2 or 3 times a week. You can also sprinkle 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds per day on cereal or salads. Additionally, supplement your diet with black currant oil or evening primrose oil, available at health food stores.
So now I comb, not brush, my hair "up" and have since started wearing my buns higher. It's only been about two weeks since I've changed it's location and using a comb instead of a brush. I'm pleased that I have less tension all over my head now (wearing my bun lower made me want to keep my edges flat by brushing, and I would occassionally snatch some "kitchen" hair)
And by my wearing them higher I don't really care about how smooth the edges are because it kinda flows with the style. Well, so far so good with the location change.
erplexed 
